Chicken fricassée

Serves 4

30ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 free-range chicken, jointed into six pieces
12 baby white onions
160g smoked bacon, diced
16 mushrooms, ideally morels
200ml white wine
900ml chicken stock
180g double cream
1 tbsp thyme leaves
100g crème fraîche
Half a bunch of tarragon, finely chopped

1 In a large ovenproof pan, heat the olive oil on a medium-high heat. Season the chicken and cook, skin-side down, until golden. Set aside. Add the onions and bacon and cook slowly until lightly golden. Set aside. Brown the mushrooms and set aside.

2 Drain most of the fat from the pan. Pour in the wine and reduce by half. Add the stock and reduce by half again. Add the cream and bring back to a simmer.

3 Add the thighs and drumsticks and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the bacon, onions, mushrooms and thyme and cook for 5 minutes, then add the chicken breasts. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, depending on their size. Remove the breasts and legs; keep warm.

4 Add the crème fraîche to the sauce. Simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

5 Check the seasoning and return the chicken to the sauce with the tarragon. Serve with rice.

Le Poulet du Dimanche menu is available lunch and dinner every Sunday, £95 for two people. Hélène Darroze at the Connaught, Carlos Place, London W1 (020 3147 7200; the-connaught.co.uk)